Hermitage Announces Fall Programs for 20th Anniversary Season

September 7 – Sarasota

Kicking off its 20^th Anniversary Season, the Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) announces new community programs in October and November with acclaimed Hermitage Fellows in music, theater, visual art, dance, literature, and more. These newly added programs are presented on the Hermitage’s historic beachfront campus as well as outdoor venues throughout Sarasota County as part of the Hermitage’s ongoing partnerships with Gulf Coast organizations, such as the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, Booker High School for the Visual and Performing Arts, Sarasota Art Museum, and The Ringling Museum of Art.

On October 6^th, the Hermitage returns to the Conservation Foundation’s Bay Preserve in Osprey to present a joint program with violinist Lady Jess – an equity advocate as well as a world-renowned musician who tours with pop icon Beyónce – and poet and community leader Hannah Hasan. Fresh from a collaboration in North Carolina that lifted the voices of Charlotte’s Black female artists, this incredible duo will share words and music inspired by their experiences living and making work in the United States and around the world. Hosted on the beautiful grounds of the Gulf Coast’s Bay Preserve, these visionary creators share their talents and speak to how art can shape the individual self, as well as the communities we build.

October programming continues with returning Hermitage Fellow and Pulitzer Prize winner Michael R. Jackson, following his acclaimed Broadway debut with A Strange Loop, which won the 2022 Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical. In a conversation moderated by Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg, Jackson will delve into the inspiration and influences that have shaped his work thus far and what is on the horizon for him, including his fascination with iconic soap operas and the way they have shaped our cultural narrative. Presented on the Hermitage Beach as the sun sets on October 21^st, don’t miss your chance to hear from one of the most exciting minds writing for the American theater today. Audience members are invited to come early and experience an open studio with acclaimed visual artist ektor garcia whose multifaceted work explores materials such as leather, ceramic, metal, and found objects.

Hermitage events in October conclude with a joint program focused on music with composer Nkeiru Okoye and multi-instrumentalist performer David “Doc” Wallace. Celebrated internationally for her African Sketches, which have been described by MusicWeb International as “impressionistic pictures of great beauty,” Okoye is one of the leading African-American female composers. Joined by the chair of Berklee College of Music’s String Department David “Doc” Wallace, whose performance style has been described by The New York Times as “Jimmy Page fronting Led Zeppelin,” the two bring equally accomplished and varied perspectives on the art of music. The pair will share selections from current and past work and discuss their creative process in an audience Q&A on October 28^th at 5:30pm on the Hermitage Beach.

November brings the continuation of the “Hermitage @ Booker” series that was launched last year with theater legend Paula Vogel and jazz musician Luke Stewart.  This second season of “Hermitage @ Booker” kicks off with a main-stay of the international folk music community and returning Hermitage Fellow Reggie Harris. An artist who uses music to entertain, educate, and build community throughout the world, Harris will visit a Booker music classroom to spend time with the remarkable students there before offering a public outdoor performance that evening, which will be open to the community on Friday, November 4^th at 5:30pm. Harris is a nationally celebrated Hermitage alumnus who delivers a message of joy, unity, tolerance, and peace through the powerful medium of music.

November also includes a new Hermitage program presented in partnership with longtime collaborators, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Returning Hermitage Fellow Richard Kennedy is a genre-defying creator working across dance, opera, and visual art. In a program combining performance and conversation, Kennedy reveals selections of past and upcoming work while also providing contextual insight, currently slated for the evening of Wednesday, November 2^nd; further details and registration information to follow.

The new fall programs above are in addition to previously announced Hermitage offerings in September. These include a virtual play reading and conversation with theater and television writer Donnetta Lavinia Grays, presented in collaboration with Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative on Monday, September 19^th, as well as an in-person event at the Sarasota Art Museum with celebrated visual artist Anne Patterson. The outdoor event with Patterson on Friday, September 23^rd will now also be available via live-stream.

Additional fall community events are in development with Sarasota’s Resilient Retreat, the YMCA of Englewood, the Englewood Art Center, and more.

On Saturday, November 12^th, the Hermitage hosts the annual Artful Lobster: An Outdoor Celebration. Now in its 14^th year, this signature event raises valuable funds for the Hermitage’s renowned artist residency program. The Artful Lobster is the only Hermitage benefit to take place on the grounds of the historic Gulf front campus – outdoors from 11:30am to 2pm beneath a large tent – located at 6660 Manasota Key Road in Englewood. Michael’s On East offers a luscious lobster feast, with performances from renowned Hermitage Fellows. Tickets for this fundraiser and sponsorship details can be found at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

Additional November and December programs will be announced at a later date.

 “As we kick off our 20^th Anniversary Season, we are incredibly excited for the dynamic range and scope of our fall program line-up, which speaks to the expansive diversity and creative talents of our renowned Hermitage Fellows,” notes Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “Each one of these hour-long outdoor events is going to be a completely different experience, offering our community a rare glimpse into innovative works in process. We are grateful to our partners and collaborators throughout the region, who help us to expand the geographic reach and impact of our Hermitage programming. We look forward to introducing the work of these visionary artists to thousands of new and returning audience members this season for these truly one-of-a-kind events.”

Nearly all Hermitage programs are free and open to the public (with a $5/person registration fee), offering Gulf Coast audiences a chance to engage and interact with some of the world’s leading talent. Due to capacity limitations and social distancing, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

The Hermitage hosts artists on its Gulf Coast Manasota Key campus for multi-week residencies, where diverse artists from around the world and across multiple disciplines create and develop new works of theater, music, visual art, literature, and more. As part of their residencies, Hermitage Fellows participate in free community programs, offering audiences in the region a unique opportunity to engage with some of the world’s leading artists and to get an authentic “sneak peek” into extraordinary projects and artistic minds before their works go on to major galleries, concert halls, theaters, and museums around the world. These free and innovative programs include performances, lectures, readings, interactive experiences, open studios, school programs, teacher workshops, and more, serving thousands in our regional community each year.